Welcome to Litsy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this travelogue describing a Norwegian journalist‘s travels through #Turkmenistan, #Kazakhstan, #Tajikistan, #Kyrgyzstan, and #Uzbekistan. She describes some of the travel itself, basic history, political aspects, culture, and personal stories of people she met.

#nonfiction #audiobook #ReadingTheWorld #ReadTheWorld #translated

I listened to the section of this book about Kazakhstan and part of the Tajikistan section this weekend on my walks and continue to find it incredibly interesting. Additionally, I needed an excuse to share this fun up close photo of Luthien enjoying her walk.

#nonfiction #Kazakhstan #Tajikistan #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #audiobook #audiowalk #DogsOfLitsy

This book has been on my TBR since I first saw it reviewed here and in my Audible library for a bit. I finally started listening on a beautiful fall walk with Luthien today and enjoyed the first section on Turkmenistan.

#ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #Turkmenistan
#audiobook #nonfiction #audiowalk

It was really interesting read about part of the world no one is really talking about. I've made some notes and I'm keen to learn more.

#SavvySettings Day 20: perfect for #Skyscraper

Erika Fatland traveled through the Central Asian former Soviet Stans and relates here her travels, some history, and current events in the area. I thought this was fascinating. She did a good job of varying the information so it didn‘t get bogged down. This was a great book to wrap up #ReadingAsia2021. #Tajikistan

Am I the only one who can only think of Spies Like Us when I see Dushanbe? 😂

This was between a pick and a so-so. I really loved the first half but towards the end she stopped talking about the logistics of traveling in Central Asia and more about the politics and I lost some interest. Overall though it was an interesting introduction to several countries I knew nearly nothing about. #ReadingAsia2021

This was fascinating! Journalist Erika Fatland travels through #Turkmenistan, #Kazakhstan, #Tajikistan #Kyrgyzstan and #Uzbekistan. We meet local people and learn bits of the history, geography and culture of each country. I found her an engaging and sympathetic writer and loved learning more about Central Asia, a region I knew SO little about.

Thanks for sending me this @squirrelbrain 😘! If anyone would like this next, pop a comment below and

It‘s a good job I didn‘t do a #weeklyforecast for this week, because this definitely wouldn‘t have been on it! As it is, I‘m rattling though it! It‘s a really interesting, engaging read, and I‘d never realised just how little I knew about Turkmenistan until now (as in absolutely nothing).

A fascinating travelogue! Erika travels through 5 ‘Stans‘ and the book is a great mix of politics, history and, best of all, the people that she meets.

It‘s fascinating how the countries are all so different, whilst also having many similarities. (Mainly dictators)

I *think* I‘m using this for #tajikistan but I‘m not quite sure; my spreadsheet is at home! 🤣

#readingasia2021

This is somewhere between a So-So and a Pick for me. It was interesting, but there were so many missed opportunities for humor. It would have been such a better book if a travel writer like J. Maarten Troost had traveled to the same places.

I loved reading about Erika‘s travels through #Turkmenistan, #Kazakhstan, #Tajikistan #Kyrgyzstan, and #Uzbekistan! I was stupid enough to think all the “Stans” were similar, but each has a very different culture, government and economy. (Although all are dictatorships to some degree, and horses are popular everywhere.) Each also has distinct minority populations and their cultures. Erika‘s essays encapsulate each area‘s uniqueness extremely well!

(Continued)...and cried when he raped her, but no one cared. All the women were interested in was the bloody stain on the sheet to prove that the bride was a virgin.

I am lost.

(What a great place to start a travelogue!!)

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Thank you to my dear friend @Cinfhen for the book and bookmark from Israel!! 💕😘 I can‘t wait to learn more about the “Stans” and check boxes off my #ReadingAsia2021!

The driver got bored and asked me to guess how old he was. I was kind and said forty-five.
"Thirty-three," he said, offended.

Another book I NEVER would have discovered without the #ReadingAsia21 challenge
I enjoyed this travelogue SO MUCH. A mix of historical content & contemporary experiences, Erika Fatland simply and richly details her 8 month journey through the 5 Central Asian countries ( 🇹🇲, 🇰🇿, 🇹🇯, 🇰🇬 & 🇺🇿 ) who have seen a tremendous amount of change, although not too much progress in the last 100 years.
Shown my Mother‘s Day gift...two new loungers

In the hills of #Tajikistan cow dung is used for fuel,a professor freelances as a donkey driver and most villagers earn less than a pound a week and yet, its citizens appear to be the most hospitable & generous. I was amazed at how warm & friendly the people Erika encountered were offering her food & shelter when they had so little. Next I travel to #Kyrgyzstan #ReadingAsia21

#PSA If you had to postpone your annual mammogram due to Covid (like I did) then it‘s time to reschedule ( like I did💕) and here I sit waiting for my number to be called. Reading this book makes me realize how lucky I am to be given preemptive healthcare.

Just finished my travels through #Kazakhstan Let me say, I‘m pretty sure I will NEVER visit these countries in person, so I‘m quite pleased to be traveling through Erika Fatland‘s descriptions & experiences. Bonkers!!! So different!! Book is fascinating #ReadingAsia21

Since my iPad is literally having a meltdown (it overheated in the sun) I‘m back to my 2 more sturdier reads!!! Hurray for print!!!

I‘ve finished part one ( about 120 pages) and it covers #Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 I definitely got a good sense of the country and the author made the history interesting & entertaining. Im really enjoying this so far @Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle #ReadingAsia21

This was calling to me... thinking it‘ll be a good book to dip in and out of. Not on my forecast but that‘s the life of an undisciplined reader 😁#ReadingAsia21

#BookMail I caved and bought this one for #ReadingAsia21 It‘s the one book that I‘m counting for several countries and I‘m happy to pass it along after reading ❣️